JP7282871B2 - System for digital camera with printer - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a printer-equipped digital camera system .

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, printer-equipped digital cameras capable of printing captured images on the spot have become widespread, and various ways of using them have been proposed. For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-200001 describes that in a printer-equipped digital camera, if the built-in printer cannot print, an external printer that is wirelessly connected is used for printing.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-112152

The technology described in the above-mentioned Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-200002 is an output destination of an external printer, and only one-way printing from a digital camera is performed. As described above, the conventional technology does not take into consideration the relationship with other digital cameras with printers, and it is not possible for a plurality of users to enjoy photographing images.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a printer-equipped digital camera system in which images can be taken with a plurality of cameras and a synthesized image can be enjoyed.

To achieve the above object, a digital camera with a printer according to a first aspect of the present invention is a digital camera with a printer, comprising: a communication unit that communicates with another digital camera with a printer as a client; an image synthesizing unit for generating a synthesized image by synthesizing a first image taken by the digital camera with a printer of the own device and a second image taken by the client; and the communication unit sends the synthesized image to the client. Send.

In the first aspect, a synthesized image is generated by synthesizing an image shot by the own device as a host (side that generates the synthesized image) and an image shot by another device as a client (side that receives the synthesized image). Since the generated composite image is transmitted to the client (other machine), not only the user of the host (own machine) but also the user of the client (other machine) can obtain the composite image. This allows a plurality of camera users to shoot images and enjoy the composite image. Note that when there are a plurality of digital cameras according to the first aspect, each digital camera can be a host or a client. Also, the number of digital cameras on the side (client) that receives the composite image may be one or more.

In the digital camera with printer according to the second aspect, in the first aspect, the image synthesizing section generates an image in which the first image and the second image are arranged in different regions of one image as a synthesized image. The second aspect defines one aspect of the composite image. The user may be allowed to select the shape and size of the regions in which the first image and the second image are arranged.

In the digital camera with a printer according to the third aspect, in the first aspect, the image synthesizing section generates an image obtained by superimposing the first image and the second image as a synthesized image. A third aspect defines another aspect of the composite image.

A digital camera with a printer according to a fourth aspect is the third aspect, wherein the image synthesizing unit superimposes the first image and the second image based on the feature points extracted from the first image and the second image. The fourth aspect defines one aspect of the image synthesizing technique by superimposition.

A digital camera with a printer according to a fifth aspect is any one of the first to fourth aspects, wherein the image synthesizing unit sets the difference between the photographing time of the first image and the photographing time of the second image as a threshold value. Generate a composite image if According to the fifth aspect, it is possible to generate a composite image using images captured at the same timing. The user may be allowed to change the threshold value for the photographing time.

A digital camera with a printer according to a sixth aspect is any one of the first to fifth aspects, further comprising a display unit for displaying the first image received from the host, wherein the communication unit displays the second image from the host. Send to According to the sixth aspect, the user of the client can confirm the image (first image) captured by the host.

A digital camera with a printer according to a seventh aspect is any one of the first to sixth aspects, wherein the communication unit transmits information prompting the client to shoot the second image. According to the seventh aspect, by transmitting the information prompting the client to shoot the second image from the host, it is possible to easily coordinate the shooting timing. The information prompting the user to take a picture may be voice or text. Also, the information prompting the photographing may be information for causing the light-emitting element to emit light.

A printer-equipped digital camera according to an eighth aspect according to the seventh aspect, further comprising an information output unit for outputting information prompting shooting of the second image. According to the eighth aspect, it is easy to coordinate shooting timing among a plurality of users. The information output unit can output information by means of voice, text, light emission from a light emitting element, or the like.

In the digital camera with a printer according to the ninth aspect, in the eighth aspect, the communication unit transmits an image shot according to information received from the host as the second image to the host. According to the ninth aspect, the digital camera with a printer as a host (the side that generates the composite image) can acquire the images necessary for generating the composite image from the client.

A printer-equipped digital camera according to a tenth aspect is any one of the first to ninth aspects, further comprising a print control section for controlling printing of the composite image, wherein the print control section receives the composite image from the host. In this case, the composite image is printed by the client's own printer regardless of the user's instruction operation. According to the tenth aspect, the client can automatically print the composite image.

A digital camera with a printer according to an eleventh aspect is the digital camera with a printer according to the tenth aspect, wherein when the host is a digital camera with a printer registered in the automatic print permission list, the printer-equipped digital camera synthesizes without a user's instruction operation. The image is printed by the client's own printer. According to the eleventh aspect, unintended automatic printing at the client can be prevented.

A printer-equipped digital camera according to a twelfth aspect is any one of the first to eleventh aspects, further comprising a storage control section for controlling storage of the image on the recording medium, wherein the storage control section saves the synthesized image as a non-printable image. Do not store on temporary storage media. According to the twelfth aspect, since the synthesized image is not stored in a non-temporary recording medium (a recording medium such as a memory card whose data does not disappear even when the power is turned off), it is possible to prompt the user to print. In addition, it is possible to increase the rarity of the printed composite image. In the tenth aspect, the image may be temporarily stored in a recording medium such as a RAM (Random Access Memory) in order to display or print the composite image.

A digital camera with a printer according to a thirteenth aspect is any one of the first to eleventh aspects, further comprising a storage control section for controlling storage of the image on the recording medium, wherein the storage control section saves the composite image as a non-printable image. Store it on a temporary storage medium. According to the thirteenth aspect, the composite image can be saved.

A digital camera with a printer according to a fourteenth aspect is any one of the first to thirteenth aspects, wherein the communication unit associates information indicating a message with the composite image and transmits the information to the client. The information indicating the message may be data such as text or voice itself, or may be information such as a URL (Uniform Resource Locator) indicating a location where data such as text or voice is stored.

A printer-equipped digital camera according to a fifteenth aspect is any one of the first to fourteenth aspects, further comprising an output unit that outputs a message based on information indicating the message. If information such as voice or image is directly associated with the synthesized image, the message can be output, and if information such as a URL indicating the location of the voice or image is associated, access to a server, etc. You can output the message obtained by According to the fifteenth aspect, the user can enjoy messages from other users who created the composite image.

A printer-equipped digital camera according to a sixteenth aspect is any one of the first to fifteenth aspects, further comprising a synthesized image display section for displaying a synthesized image. According to the sixteenth aspect, the synthesized image can be viewed.

A digital camera with a printer according to a seventeenth aspect is any one of the first to sixteenth aspects, wherein the communication unit communicates with another digital camera with a printer by short-range wireless communication. According to the seventeenth aspect, nearby users can directly enjoy sending and receiving images, generating composite images, and printing.

A printer-equipped digital camera according to an eighteenth aspect is any one of the first to seventeenth aspects, wherein the communication unit communicates with another printer-equipped digital camera via an information communication network. According to the eighteenth aspect, users who are far from each other can enjoy sending and receiving images, generating composite images, and printing, via an information communication network such as the Internet.

As described above, according to the printer-equipped digital camera system of the present invention, it is possible to take images with a plurality of cameras and enjoy the synthesized image.

FIG. 1 is a front perspective view showing a digital camera with a printer. FIG. 2 is a rear perspective view of the digital camera with printer. FIG. 3 is a front view of the instant film. FIG. 4 is a rear view of the instant film. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the electrical configuration of a digital camera with a printer. FIG. 6 is a functional block diagram of a camera control section. FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing the procedure of processing related to image synthesis. FIG. 8 is another flow chart showing the procedure of processing relating to image composition. FIG. 9 is still another flowchart showing the procedure of processing relating to image synthesis. FIG. 10 is a flow chart showing a modified example of processing related to image composition. FIG. 11 is another flow chart showing a modified example of processing related to image composition. FIG. 12 is a diagram showing a pattern of image composition. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of the first image. FIG. 14 is a diagram showing an example of the second image. FIG. 15 is a diagram showing an example of a synthesized image. FIG. 16 is a diagram showing how a message is attached to an image. FIG. 17 is a diagram showing an example of an image attached with a voice message. FIG. 18 is a diagram showing an example of a synthesized image superimposed with a two-dimensional barcode representing a voice message. FIG. 19 is a diagram showing an example of image composition by superimposition.

A detailed description of an embodiment of a system for a digital camera with a printer according to the present invention follows. In the description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings.

<Digital camera with printer>

A printer-equipped digital camera 10 is a digital camera with a built-in printer, and has a function of printing a photographed image on the spot. The printer-equipped digital camera 10 of this embodiment prints on instant film using an instant film pack. Further, the printer-equipped digital camera 10 of the present embodiment has a recording function, and can record sound in association with the captured image.

<External configuration>

FIG. 1 is a front perspective view showing an example of a digital camera with a printer. 2 is a rear perspective view of the digital camera with a printer shown in FIG. 1. FIG.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a printer-equipped digital camera 10 has a portable camera body 12 . The camera body 12 has a vertically long rectangular parallelepiped shape with a small thickness in the front-rear direction and a longer dimension in the vertical direction than in the horizontal dimension.

On the front side of the camera body 12, as shown in FIG. 1, there are provided a photographing lens 14, a release button 16, a recording button 18, an electronic flash window 20, and the like. One side surface of the camera body 12 is provided with a power button 22a, a menu button 22b, an OK button 22c, a mode switching button 22d, a microphone hole 24, a speaker hole 26, and the like. The release button 16 is a button for instructing image recording. The power button 22a is a button for turning on and off the power of the printer-equipped digital camera 10 . The menu button 22b is a button for calling a menu screen. The OK button is a button for instructing OK. The mode switching button 22d is a button for switching between the auto print mode and the manual print mode in the shooting mode.

On the back side of the camera body 12, as shown in FIG. 2, a touch panel type display 28, a film lid cover 30, and various operation buttons are provided. The film lid cover 30 is a cover for opening and closing the film loading chamber. The operation buttons include a joystick 32a, a print button 32b, a play button 32c, a cancel button 32d, and the like. The print button 32b is a button for instructing printing. The playback button 32c is a button for instructing switching to playback mode. The cancel button 32d is a button for instructing cancellation of the operation.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the upper surface of the camera body 12 is provided with a film exit 34. As shown in FIGS. The printed instant film is ejected from this film ejection port 34 .

<Configuration of the printer part of a digital camera with a printer>

The printer-equipped digital camera 10 includes a film loading chamber (not shown), a film feeding mechanism 52, a film conveying mechanism 54, a print head 56, etc. (see FIG. 5). An instant film pack having a structure in which a plurality of instant films are housed in a case is loaded into the film loading chamber. 3 is a front view of the instant film 42, and FIG. 4 is a rear view of the instant film 42. FIG. 3 and 4, the direction indicated by arrow F is the direction in which the instant film 42 is used, and the instant film 42 is transported in the direction indicated by arrow F. As shown in FIG. Therefore, when the instant film 42 is loaded in the printer-equipped digital camera 10, the direction indicated by the arrow F is the ejecting direction of the instant film 42. As shown in FIG.

The instant film 42 is a self-developing instant film having a rectangular card shape. The instant film 42 has an exposure surface 42a on the back side and an observation surface 42b on the front side. The exposure surface 42a is a surface on which an image is recorded by exposure, and the observation surface 42b is a surface on which the recorded image is observed.

As shown in FIG. 3, an observation surface 42b of the instant film 42 is provided with an observation area 42h. As shown in FIG. 4, the exposure surface 42a of the instant film 42 is provided with an exposure region 42c, a pod portion 42d, and a trap portion 42f. After exposure, the instant film 42 is developed by spreading the developing solution in the pod portion 42d onto the exposed area 42c. The pod portion 42d incorporates a developing solution pod 42e containing a developing solution. The developing processing liquid in the pod portion 42d is squeezed out from the pod portion 42d by passing the instant film 42 between the pair of rollers, and spreads in the exposure area 42c. The developing processing liquid remaining after the developing process is captured by the trap portion 42f. An absorbing material 42g is incorporated in the trap portion 42f.

The instant print pack is loaded into a film loading chamber (not shown) provided inside the camera body 12 . At the time of printing, the films are delivered one by one by a claw (claw-like member) of the film delivery mechanism 52 and transported by rollers (not shown) of the film transport mechanism 54 . Further, during the transport process, a pair of developing rollers (not shown) crushes the pod portion 42d of the instant film 42 to spread the developing solution. The print head 56 is composed of a line-type exposure head, and irradiates the exposure surface 42a of the instant film 42 transported by the film transport mechanism 54 with print light line by line to record an image on the instant film 42 in a single pass. . A frame 42i is provided around the observation area 42h, and the image is displayed inside the frame 42i.

<Electrical Configuration of Digital Camera with Printer>

FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing the main parts of the electrical configuration of the printer-equipped digital camera.

As shown in the figure, the printer-equipped digital camera 10 includes a photographing lens 14, a lens driver 62, an image sensor 64, an image sensor driver 66, an analog signal processor 68, a digital signal processor 70, a memory 72, and a memory controller. 74 , a display 28 , a display controller 76 , a communication section 78 and an antenna 80 . The printer-equipped digital camera 10 also includes a film delivery drive section 82, a film transport drive section 84, a head drive section 86, a strobe 88, a strobe emission control section 90, a microphone 92, a speaker 94, an audio signal processing section 96, and a clock section 97. , an operation unit 98 and a camera control unit 100 .

The photographing lens 14 forms an optical image of a subject on the light receiving surface of the image sensor 64 . The photographing lens 14 has a focus adjustment function, and includes an aperture and a shutter (not shown). The lens drive unit 62 includes a motor and its drive circuit for driving the focus adjustment function of the photographing lens 14, a motor and its drive circuit for driving the diaphragm, and a motor and its drive circuit for driving the shutter. operates the focusing mechanism, aperture and shutter in response to commands from

The image sensor 64 is composed of a two-dimensional solid-state imaging device such as a CCD image sensor (CCD: Charge Coupled Device) or a CMOS image sensor (CMOS: Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor). The image sensor 64 has an imaging area with an aspect ratio corresponding to the printable area of the instant film used. The image sensor drive section 66 includes a drive circuit for the image sensor 64 and operates the image sensor 64 according to commands from the camera control section 100 .

In the printer-equipped digital camera 10 of the present embodiment, the photographing lens 14 and the image sensor 64 constitute a photographing section.

The analog signal processing unit 68 takes in the analog image signal for each pixel output from the image sensor 64, performs signal processing (for example, correlated double sampling processing, amplification processing, etc.), digitizes it, and outputs it.

The digital signal processing unit 70 takes in the digital image signal output from the analog signal processing unit 68, performs signal processing (for example, gradation conversion processing, white balance correction processing, gamma correction processing, synchronization processing, YC conversion processing, etc.). ) to generate image data.

The memory 72 is a non-temporary recording medium for storing image data and audio data obtained by photographing, and uses, for example, a memory card. The memory 72 is an example of a storage unit. The memory controller 74 reads and writes data in the memory 72 under the control of the camera control section 100 .

The display 28 is configured by, for example, a liquid crystal display (LCD), an organic electroluminescence display (OELD), or the like. Alternatively, the display 28 may be composed of a plasma display, a field emission display (FED), electronic paper, or the like. The display controller 76 causes the display 28 to display an image under the control of the camera control section 100 .

The communication unit 78 wirelessly communicates with another printer-equipped digital camera 10 (another device) via an antenna 80 under the control of the camera control unit 100 . The communication unit 78 can directly communicate with other devices at a short distance by short-range wireless communication such as the NFC standard (NFC: Near Field Communication), Bluetooth (registered trademark), or the like. In addition, the communication unit 78 connects to an information communication network such as the Internet via a Wi-Fi spot (Wi-Fi: registered trademark) or the like, and can communicate with other digital cameras with printers 10 (other devices) regardless of distance. can communicate to

The film delivery drive section 82 includes a motor for driving a claw (claw-shaped member) (not shown) of the film delivery mechanism 52 and a drive circuit for the same, and drives the motor to drive the claw under the control of the camera control section 100. make it work.

The film transport drive unit 84 includes a motor and drive circuit for driving a pair of transport rollers (not shown) of the film transport mechanism 54 and a motor and drive circuit for driving a pair of spreading rollers (not shown). drive the motor for the pair of conveying rollers and the motor for the pair of spreading rollers to operate the pair of conveying rollers and the pair of spreading rollers.

The head drive section 86 includes a drive circuit for the print head 56 and drives the print head 56 under the control of the camera control section 100 .

The strobe 88 includes, for example, a xenon tube, an LED (Light Emitting Diode), or the like as a light source, and emits light from the light source to irradiate the subject with strobe light. The strobe light is emitted from a strobe light emitting window 20 (see FIG. 1) provided in front of the camera body 12 . The strobe light emission control section 90 includes a drive circuit for the strobe 88 and causes the strobe 88 to emit light in accordance with a command from the camera control section 100 .

A microphone 92 collects external sounds through a microphone hole 24 (see FIG. 2) provided in the camera body 12 . Microphone 92 is an example of a sound collector. The speaker 94 outputs sound to the outside from the speaker hole 26 provided in the camera body 12 . The audio signal processing unit 96 performs signal processing on the audio signal input from the microphone 92, digitizes it, and outputs it. Also, the audio signal processing unit 96 performs signal processing on the audio data supplied from the camera control unit 100 and outputs the audio data from the speaker 94 . The clock unit 97 holds date and time information, and the camera control unit 100 refers to this information to set the photographing time (date and time).

The operation unit 98 includes various operation members such as the release button 16, the recording button 18, the power button 22a, the menu button 22b, the OK button 22c, the joystick 32a, the print button 32b, the playback button 32c, and the cancel button 32d, and their signal processing. It includes a circuit and outputs a signal based on the operation of each operation member to the camera control unit 100 .

The camera control unit 100 is a control unit that controls the overall operation of the printer-equipped digital camera 10 . The camera control unit 100 includes a CPU (CPU: Central Processing Unit), ROM (ROM: Read Only Memory), RAM (RAM: Random Access Memory), EEPROM (Electronically Erasable and Programmable Read Only Memory), and the like. The camera control unit 100 is a computer configured by these CPUs and the like, and implements various functions described below by executing a control program.

<Functional Configuration of Camera Control Unit>

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the functional configuration of the camera control section 100. As shown in FIG. The camera control unit 100 includes a communication control unit 100A (communication unit), an image composition unit 100B (image composition unit), an output control unit 100C (information output unit, output unit, composite image display unit), and a print control unit 100D. (print control unit), a storage control unit 100E (storage control unit), and a message processing unit 100F (output unit).

The functions of each unit of the camera control unit 100 described above can be implemented using various processors and recording media. Various processors include, for example, a CPU, which is a general-purpose processor that executes software (programs) to realize various functions. The various processors described above also include programmable logic devices (PLDs) such as GPUs (Graphics Processing Units), which are processors specialized for image processing, and FPGAs (Field Programmable Gate Arrays). A programmable logic device is a processor whose circuitry can be changed after manufacture. Note that a configuration using a GPU is effective when learning and recognizing images. Further, the various processors described above also include a dedicated electric circuit, such as an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), which is a processor having a circuit configuration specially designed to execute specific processing.

The function of each unit may be implemented by a single processor, or may be implemented by multiple processors of the same or different types (for example, multiple FPGAs, a combination of CPU and FPGA, or a combination of CPU and GPU). Also, one processor may have multiple functions. As an example of configuring a plurality of functions in one processor, first, as represented by a computer, one processor is configured by a combination of one or more CPUs and software, and this processor has a plurality of functions. There is a form of realization. Secondly, as typified by System On Chip (SoC), etc., there is a form of using a processor that implements the functions of the entire system with a single IC (Integrated Circuit) chip. In this way, various functions are configured using one or more of the various processors described above as a hardware structure. Further, the hardware structure of these various processors is, more specifically, an electrical circuit that combines circuit elements such as semiconductor elements. These electrical circuits may be electrical circuits that implement the functions described above using logical OR, logical AND, logical negation, exclusive OR, and logical operations combining these.

When the above-described processor or electric circuit executes software (program), a computer-readable code (various processors and electric circuits constituting the camera control unit 100, and/or combinations thereof) of the software to be executed is The software is stored in a non-temporary recording medium such as a ROM, and the computer refers to the software. The software stored in the non-temporary recording medium includes programs for executing image shooting and composition and data used for execution. The non-temporary recording medium for recording the code may be various magneto-optical recording devices, semiconductor memories, etc. instead of ROM. A RAM, for example, is used as a temporary storage area during processing using software.

<Processing Related to Synthetic Image Generation>

7 to 11 are flow charts showing processing related to generation of a composite image by the printer-equipped digital camera 10 configured as described above. 7 to 11, the process on the side that requested the generation of the composite image (hereinafter, sometimes referred to as "host") is described on the left side of the drawing, and the process on the side that receives the composite image (hereinafter, "client") is described. ”) is described on the right side of the figure. 7 to 11, two printer-equipped digital cameras 10 configured as described above are used, one printer-equipped digital camera 10 as a "host" (first printer-equipped digital camera), and another A printer-equipped digital camera 10 (second printer-equipped digital camera) is used as a "client". The printer-equipped digital cameras used for the host and the client need not have exactly the same configuration, and printer-equipped digital cameras with different configurations may be used for the host and the client.

In the host-side printer-equipped digital camera 10, the image synthesizing section 100B determines whether generation of a synthesized image has been requested (step S100). Whether or not a request has been made can be determined based on whether or not the operation unit 98 has been operated by the user. When generation of a synthetic image is requested (YES in step S100), the image synthesizing unit 100B selects a synthetic image template based on the instruction input by the user via the operation unit 98 (step S110). FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an example of a template. In the example shown in parts (a) to (e) of FIG. 12, the dotted line indicates the boundary between the image (first image) captured by the host and the image (second image) captured by the client. As shown in these examples, the template may be obtained by dividing one image horizontally, vertically, or obliquely, or by dividing the image into the central portion and its periphery. Also, the number of divisions is not limited to two, and may be three or more. Furthermore, the template may be decorated with letters, numbers, symbols, etc., in addition to the image. The image synthesizing unit 100B generates a synthesized image by arranging the first image and the second image in different regions of one image using the selected template. Note that the image synthesizing unit 100B may determine whether generation of a synthesized image has been requested based on a client-side request. In this case, the client side sends a signal requesting image synthesis with the second image to the host side, and the host side starts generating a synthesized image in response to the image synthesis request signal sent from the client side.

When the template is selected, the image synthesizing unit 100B instructs to shoot the first image (step S120). This photographing instruction can be given by outputting from the speaker 94 or by displaying on the display 28 a message prompting the image synthesizing section 100B to photograph. The user can take a desired image using the printer-equipped digital camera 10, which is the user's own device. The first image has been captured" (YES in step S130). Note that the camera control unit 100 refers to the information of the clock unit 97 to determine the shooting date and time of the image (first image).

When the first image is captured, the communication control unit 100A (communication unit) transmits the first image to another device (client) via the communication unit 78 (communication unit) and the antenna 80 (communication unit), A photographing instruction for the second image is issued (step S140). The image synthesizing unit 100B and the communication control unit 100A can transmit the first image with the first image arranged in the template selected in step S110, as illustrated in part (a) of FIG. At this time, the image synthesizing unit 100B may cut out the first image according to the selected template. In addition, the communication control unit 100A (communication unit) can transmit an instruction to capture the second image to another device via the communication unit 78 (communication unit) and the antenna 80 (communication unit).

The printer-equipped digital camera 10, which is a client, receives the shooting instructions for the first image and the second image via the communication section 78 (communication section) and the antenna 80 (communication section) (step S300). The printer-equipped digital camera 10 (client) that has received the first image displays the received image (first image) on the display 28 (display unit) (step S305). As a result, the user can grasp "what kind of image is to be combined with the image that the user takes". Further, the output control unit 100C (information output unit, display unit) of the client reproduces the second image by display on the display 28 (information output unit, display unit) and/or audio output from the speaker 94 (information output unit). A photographing instruction is output (step S305).

It should be noted that in step S140, the host may transmit only the imaging instruction for the second image to the client without transmitting the first image. In this case, in the client, the output control unit 100C places a question mark (the first image has not been received) on the right side of the image (area where the first image is arranged) on the display 28, as shown in part (b) of FIG. information indicating that the second image is displayed), and a photographing instruction can be displayed on the left side of the image (the area where the second image is arranged) (step S305).

In the client, the image synthesizing unit 100B determines whether or not the second image has been captured (step S310). The user can take a desired image using the printer-equipped digital camera 10 as a client, and when the image is taken by the taking lens 14 and the image sensor 64 (image taking unit), the determination in step S310 is affirmative. be. When photographing, the camera control unit 100 refers to the information in the clock unit 97 to determine the photographing time (date and time) of the image (second image) photographed by the client, in the same manner as described above for the first image. . The client-side communication control unit 100A (communication unit) transmits the second image to the host (other device) via the communication unit 78 (communication unit) and the antenna 80 (communication unit) (step S320). The output control unit 100C of the client may cause the display 28 to display the captured image (second image) before transmitting it to the host. It is assumed here that the second image shown in FIG. 14 has been captured.

In the host, the communication control unit 100A determines whether or not the second image has been received from the client (step S150). It is determined whether or not the difference between the shooting times of the two images is within a threshold value (step S160). If the difference in photographing times is greater than the threshold (NO in step S160), the host image synthesizing unit 100B does not generate a synthetic image, returns to step S120, and instructs again to photograph the first image.

If the difference in photographing times is within the threshold (YES in step S160), the host's image synthesizing unit 100B generates a synthesized image by synthesizing the first image and the second image (step S170). In the example described with reference to FIGS. 12 to 14, the image synthesizing unit 100B generates a synthesized image by arranging the first image and the second image in different regions of one image according to the selected template. At this time, the image synthesizing unit 100B may cut out the first image and/or the second image according to the selected template. Further, the image synthesizing unit 100B displays the generated synthetic image on the display 28 (composite image display unit) (step S180). The user of the host can thereby confirm the composite image. Here, it is assumed that the synthesized image shown in FIG. 15 is generated and displayed. If the user of the host is dissatisfied with the synthesized image (for example, if the user instructs the processing again via the operation unit 98), the host may return to step S120 or step S140 and perform the processing again.

In processing related to generation of a composite image, the number of clients may be not one but a plurality of clients. When there are a plurality of clients, the host image synthesizing unit 100B may generate a synthesized image in which the images of the host and all clients are arranged in one image. A composite image may be generated by arranging the images into one image. For example, the host can be a digital camera 10 with a printer used by a celebrity, and the client can be a plurality of digital cameras 10 with printers used by individual members of a fan club. In this case, the host's image synthesizing unit 100B can generate an image (a different image for each client) by synthesizing, for example, the self-portrait taken by the celebrity and the self-portrait of each member.

In the host, the message processing unit 100F determines whether or not to attach a message to the synthesized image (step S190). The message processing unit 100</b>F can make this determination based on the user's operation via the operation unit 98 . If a message is to be attached to the synthesized image (YES in step S190), the message processing unit 100F causes the display 28 to display information 530 prompting recording of a message, for example, as in the example of FIG. And the voice input via the voice signal processing unit 96 is generated as "information indicating the message" (step S200). The message processing unit 100</b>F may output information prompting recording of a message from the speaker 94 , and may record according to the operation of the record button 18 . Note that handwritten characters, symbols, and the like input via the touch panel of the display 28 may be generated as "information indicating a message" and attached to or superimposed on the image.

In the host, the image synthesizing unit 100B and the communication control unit 100A (communication unit) transmit the synthesized image thus generated (associating information indicating the message with the synthesized image when a message is generated) for communication. It transmits to the client via the unit 78 (communication unit) and the antenna 80 (communication unit) (step S210). In the client, the communication control unit 100A (communication unit) receives the composite image (and the message) via the communication unit 78 (communication unit) and the antenna 80 (communication unit) (step S330), and displays it on the display 28 ( step S340). Part (a) of FIG. 17 is a diagram showing an example of a synthesized image to which a voice message is attached. A speaker mark 600 in the composite image indicates that a voice message is attached to the image.

If a message is attached (YES in step S350), the message processing unit 100F of the client outputs information to the effect that a message is attached through the display 28 and/or the speaker 94. FIG. When the user of the client instructs to output a message by operating the operation unit 98 or the microphone 92, the message processing unit 100F (output unit) outputs the message via the audio signal processing unit 96 (output unit) and the speaker 94 (output unit). to reproduce and output the voice of the message (step S360). When handwritten characters, symbols, or the like are attached as a message, the message processing unit 100F (output unit) may superimpose the message on the composite image and display it on the display 28 . In addition, the print control unit 100D may superimpose a message such as characters or symbols on the composite image and print it.

In the above embodiment, the host attaches a message to the composite image. A message may be generated and attached at that time. Part (b) of FIG. 17 is an example in which a message is attached when the first image is transmitted, and part (c) of FIG. is generated.

In the client that has received the composite image from the host, the print control unit 100D (print control unit) determines whether the host is the printer-equipped digital camera 10 registered in the "automatic print permission list" (step S370). . When the host is registered in the list, the print control unit 100D prints the composite image to its own printer (the print head 56, the film delivery mechanism 52, the film transport mechanism 54, and their drives) without depending on the user's instruction operation. section; see FIG. 5) is printed (step S380). Also, even when a composite image is received from a host that is not registered in the "automatic print permission list", the print control unit 100D determines whether or not to print according to the user's operation (step S390). May be printed if affirmed. Note that the print control unit 100D creates an "automatic print permission list" based on, for example, the individual identification information of the printer-equipped digital camera 10 and the user's operation via the operation unit 98, and stores it in the EEPROM of the camera control unit 100 (FIG. 5). ), and can be referred to when making a decision in step S370.

Note that when the composite image is printed, the user cannot refer to the voice message associated with the composite image from the print. In this case, the message processing unit 100F and the communication control unit 100A send the voice message to a storage device (server or the like) on the network via the communication unit 78 and the antenna 80 when printing the synthesized image with the voice message attached. It is possible to upload and obtain information indicating the upload destination (two-dimensional barcode, URL, etc.). Then, the print control unit 100D can superimpose the information on the composite image and print it. FIG. 18 is an example showing a state in which a two-dimensional bar code 610 indicating the upload destination of the message is superimposed on the composite image and displayed. The user can read the two-dimensional barcode using a smartphone or other device and application, access a server or the like, and check the voice message.

After printing the composite image (step S380), the storage control unit 100E (storage control unit) of the client terminates the processing without storing the composite image in the memory 72 (non-temporary recording medium). This increases the rarity value of the print and promotes printing.

On the other hand, in the host, after transmitting the composite image (and the message) to the client (step S210), the storage control unit 100E (storage control unit) determines whether or not to store the composite image in the memory 72 (step S220). . The storage control unit 100E can make this judgment based on the user's operation via the operation unit 98 or the like. If the determination is affirmative (YES in step S220), the storage control unit 100E stores the synthesized image in the memory 72 (step S230) and ends the process. The host may send the synthesized image again if requested by the client.

As described above, according to the printer-equipped digital camera 10 of the present embodiment, the user can take images with a plurality of cameras and enjoy a composite image.

<Modified Example of Printing and Storage of Composite Image>

With respect to the flow charts of FIGS. 7-9, the host stores the composite image without printing it, and the client prints the composite image but does not store it. However, aspects relating to printing and storing composite images may differ from those described above. For example, as shown in FIG. 10, the print control unit 100D (print control unit) in the host determines whether or not to print the composite image (step S212). good too. In this case, in the host, the print control unit 100D can determine whether or not to print the composite image based on the user's operation via the operation unit 98, for example. Note that in FIG. 10, steps (steps S212 and S214) surrounded by a dashed line are added to the flow chart of FIG.

Alternatively, the client may store the composite image. In this case, for example, as shown in FIG. 11, the storage control unit 100E (storage control unit) can determine whether or not to store the synthesized image in the memory 72 (non-temporary recording medium) (step S392). The storage control unit 100E stores the composite image in the memory 72 when the determination in step S392 is affirmative (step S394). When a message is attached to the synthesized image, the storage control unit 100E preferably stores the synthesized image and the message in association with each other. Note that in FIG. 11, steps (steps S392 and S394) surrounded by a dashed line are added to the flow chart of FIG. Also, in FIG. 11, the processing on the host side is omitted.

<Synthetic image generation by superimposition>

With reference to FIGS. 12 to 17, the manner in which the image synthesizing unit generates an image in which the first image and the second image are arranged in different regions of one image as a synthesized image has been described. However, in the printer-equipped digital camera 10 according to the present invention, the image synthesizing section 100B may generate an image in which the first image and the second image are superimposed as a synthesized image. FIG. 19 is a diagram for explaining synthetic image generation by such superimposition. In the example shown in part (a) of FIG. 19, when an image 501 (first image) is captured by the host and an image 502 (second image) is captured by the client, the image synthesizing unit 100B of the host converts the image 501 A feature point 1000 is extracted as a corner portion of an object 900 (house) from the image 502, and a feature point 1010 is extracted as a corner portion or intersection of ridge lines of an object 910 (mountain) from the image 502. FIG. Then, the image synthesizing unit 100B superimposes the image 501 and the image 502 so that the feature points 1000 and 1010 (feature points) extracted from the image 501 (first image) and the image 502 (second image) match. , can generate a composite image. The image synthesizing unit 100B can extract feature points from the images 501 and 502 using a known method. Further, the image synthesizing unit 100B may perform image processing such as movement, rotation, and deformation on the image 501 and/or the image 502 at the time of superimposition.

Part (b) of FIG. 19 shows an example of a synthesized image by superimposition. In this example, a panoramic image-like composite image 510 is obtained, and due to the displacement of the original images 501 and 502, the upper right area 511 and the lower left area 512 are blank (areas in which image data does not exist). there is The dotted line in the same portion is a reference line indicating the range of the original images 501,501.

Part (c) of FIG. 19 shows another example of a synthesized image by superimposition. In this example as well, a panoramic image-like synthesized image 520 is obtained, but in the synthesized image 520, the image synthesizing unit 100B trims the image area into a rectangle. Note that the dotted lines in the same portion are reference lines indicating the ranges of the original images 501 and 502 . When generating a composite image by superimposing, the image composition unit 100B may generate an image like the composite image 510 or an image like the composite image 520 .

The image synthesis illustrated in FIG. 19 allows the user of the printer-equipped digital camera 10 to take images with a plurality of cameras and enjoy the synthesized image.

<Modified Example of Printing Using Automatic Print Permission List>

In FIG. 9, the client automatically prints the combined image when the client receives a composite image from the printer-equipped digital camera 10 registered in the client's "automatic permission list". However, the automatic printing by the client is not limited to the reception of the composite image. For example, when an image shot by a client is sent from the client to the host, and after being subjected to image processing such as movement, rotation, and deformation on the host side, the host returns the image to the client. The image may be automatically printed based on the "automatic permission list". Further, for example, when an image photographed by a client is sent from the client to the host, attached with a message by the message processing unit 100F of the host, and returned from the host to the client, the client receives Images may be printed automatically.

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the aspects described above, and various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

10 digital camera with printer

12 camera body

14 Shooting lens

16 Release button

18 Record button

20 strobe lighting window

22a Power button

22b Menu button

22c OK button

22d Mode switching button

24 Microphone hole

26 speaker hole

28 displays

30 film lid cover

32a joystick

32b print button

32c play button

32d cancel button

34 film outlet

42 instant film

42a exposure surface

42b viewing surface

42c exposure area

42d pod part

42e developer pod

42f trap section

42g absorbent

42h observation area

42i frame

52 film feeding mechanism

54 film transport mechanism

56 print head

62 lens driver

64 image sensor

66 Image sensor driver

68 analog signal processor

70 digital signal processor

72 memory

74 memory controller

76 display controller

78 Communications Department

80 Antenna

82 film feeding drive

84 film transport drive

86 head drive

88 Strobe

90 strobe emission control unit

92 Microphones

94 speakers

96 audio signal processor

97 Clock

98 Operation unit

100 camera control unit

100A Communication control unit

100B Image synthesizing unit

100C output controller

100D print controller

100E storage control unit

100F Message processing unit

501 images

502 images

510 composite image

511 realm

512 realms

520 composite image

530 Information

600 mark

610 two-dimensional barcode

900 subject

910 subject

1000 feature points

1010 feature points

Arrow F

S100 to S394 Each step of processing in a digital camera with a printer

Claims (11)

A printer-equipped digital camera system including a first printer-equipped digital camera having a communication unit and a second printer-equipped digital camera having a communication unit,
the first digital camera with a printer and the second digital camera with a printer communicate via a communication unit of the first digital camera with a printer and a communication unit of the second digital camera with a printer;
The first printer-equipped digital camera generates a composite image in which a first image captured by the first printer-equipped digital camera and a second image captured by the second printer-equipped digital camera are synthesized. Equipped with an image synthesizing unit,
the communication unit of the first digital camera with a printer transmits the composite image to the second digital camera with a printer;
The second printer-equipped digital camera has a print control section for controlling printing,
The print control unit of the second digital camera with a printer,
When the first digital camera with a printer is a printer-equipped digital camera registered in an automatic print permission list, the composite image is printed on the printer of the second printer-equipped digital camera without a user's instruction operation. let
When the first digital camera with a printer is a digital camera with a printer that is not registered in an automatic print permission list, whether the composite image is printed by the printer of the second digital camera with a printer according to a user's operation A system for a digital camera with a printer that determines whether or not The second digital camera with a printer further comprises a display unit for displaying the first image received from the first digital camera with a printer,
2. The printer-equipped digital camera system according to claim 1 , wherein the communication unit of said second printer-equipped digital camera transmits said second image to said first printer-equipped digital camera. the communication unit of the first digital camera with a printer transmits information prompting the second digital camera with a printer to shoot the second image;
3. The printer-equipped digital camera system according to claim 1, wherein said second printer-equipped digital camera further comprises an information output unit for outputting said information prompting photographing of said second image. The communication unit of the second digital camera with printer transmits an image shot according to the information received from the first digital camera with printer as the second image to the first digital camera with printer. 4. The printer-equipped digital camera system according to claim 3. 5. The first printer-equipped digital camera according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising a storage control section for controlling storage of the image in a recording medium, wherein the storage control section does not store the composite image in a non-temporary recording medium. 1. A system for a digital camera with a printer according to 1. 5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4 , wherein said first digital camera with a printer further comprises a storage control section for controlling storage of the image in a recording medium, said storage control section storing said composite image in a non-temporary recording medium. A system for a digital camera with a printer according to any one of claims 1 to 3. 7. The printer-equipped digital camera according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the communication unit of the first printer-equipped digital camera associates information indicating a message with the composite image and transmits the message to the second printer-equipped digital camera. System for digital cameras. 8. The printer-equipped digital camera system according to claim 7, wherein said second printer-equipped digital camera further comprises an output unit for outputting said message based on information indicating said message. 9. The printer-equipped digital camera system according to claim 1, wherein said second printer-equipped digital camera further comprises a composite image display section for displaying said composite image. 10. The printer-equipped digital camera according to claim 1, wherein the communication unit of the first printer-equipped digital camera and the communication unit of the second printer-equipped digital camera communicate by short-range wireless communication. system. 11. The digital camera with printer according to claim 1, wherein the communication unit of the first digital camera with printer and the communication unit of the second digital camera with printer communicate via an information communication network. system for .

Images